> Beyond Pesticides, September 20, 2005) > > ACTION ALERT: ORGANIC STANDARDS UNDER ATTACK > Write Congress TODAY > Before It's Too Late > Say NO to Dangerous > Organic Rider on Senate > Appropriations Bill > > > The Organic Trade Association and many food > processors are asking Congress to > change the Organic Food Production Act (OFPA) in > ways that could allow numerous > unreviewed synthetic substances in products labeled > "ORGANIC" and weaken organic > dairy standards. > > CALL AND WRITE YOUR SENATORS TODAY Before the Senate > Takes This Up As Early As > Today! > > TELL THEM NOT TO WEAKEN OUR ORGANIC LAW!!! > > For instructions, sample letter, and more details, > go to > <http://www.beyondpesticides.org/> > http://www.beyondpesticides.org and see the > Daily News Action. > > A recent court decision ruled that the Organic Foods > Production Act does not > allow synthetic (non-natural) ingredients to be used > in foods labeled "organic" > and must ensure a strong standard under which dairy > cows are converted to > organic milk production. See Beyond Pesticides' > article on the subject. > > After rejecting efforts by members of the public > interest and environmental > community to reach an agreement on these issues, > major food processors in the > organic food industry are pushing Congress to > "quietly" change the law to allow > the use of such synthetic ingredients and > potentially weaken the organic dairy > standards. This industry's amendments to change the > organic food law have been > introduced on the floor of the U.S. Senate today, > and may be voted on as early > as tomorrow. We need your help to defeat a weakening > of our organic food law! > > More specifically the industry's amendments: > > **could permanently allow synthetic processing aids > and food contact substances, > including over 500 food contact substances, to be > used in organic foods without > any type of public review for their safety and > compatibility with organic > production and processing. > > **leave unresolved whether young dairy cows could be > treated with antibiotics > and then converted to organic after twelve months; > > **create a serious new loophole in which organic > ingredients could be > substituted with non-organic ingredients without any > consumer notice based upon > "emergency decrees." For more details, see > <http://www.beyondpesticides.org/organicfood/alerts/MythvReality.final.pdf> > Myth > and Reality: Proposed Amendments to OFPA Premature > and Overreaching. > > KEEP THE ORGANIC LABEL TRUTHFUL - REJECT THE > INDUSTRY'S AMENDMENTS. > > For instructions, sample letter, and more details, > go to > <http://www.beyondpesticides.org/> > http://www.beyondpesticides.org and see the > Daily News Action. > > TAKE ACTION: Write a letter (use > <http://www.beyondpesticides.org/organicfood/alerts/PostHarveySenateActionLetter > .pdf> sample or write your own heartfelt letter) to > your > <http://www.senate.gov/> Senators TODAY. > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - > - - - - - - > Join us at Sierra Summit 2005. For information go > to: > http://www.sierrasummit2005.org/ > * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * > To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, > see: > http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp > ______________________________________________________ Yahoo! for Good Donate to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. http://store.yahoo.com/redcross-donate3/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Join us at Sierra Summit 2005. For information go to: http://www.sierrasummit2005.org/ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp